One big takeaway from the Georgia Bulldogs’ 34-20 win over the Florida Gators was the play of quarterback Carson Beck, who threw three interceptions. He did throw two touchdowns to win the game, but his turnovers caused the defense to be backed up in their own territory a few times, allowing Florida to score from short fields and stay ahead for the majority of the game.
You could make a legitimate argument that the Gators would’ve won the game if it weren’t for second-string quarterback D.J. Lagway going down with an injury, and Beck was a big reason why.
Unfortunately, turnovers have been a detrimental issue Beck has dealt with all season long. Since Week 2, Beck has more interceptions than touchdowns (10 touchdowns, 11 interceptions). This is the second game in a row in which he’s had three interceptions, and while you can somewhat understand the struggles in the Texas game because of the stout secondary he played against, Florida had two defensive backs out for this matchup.
Fans are left feeling unsatisfied after the win and unsure if Georgia can stay the top team in the SEC. If UGA loses to Ole Miss and Carson Beck throws multiple interceptions again, then fans will be looking for a quarterback change ahead of the Tennessee game.
Here are the options Georgia could choose from should they choose to bench Beck:
Gunner Stockton
The most experienced in Georgia out of the backups is sophomore Gunner Stockton since he’s the only one with reps for Georgia. The former four-star recruit has thrown for 238 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in his career.
Looking at the tape from him from high school and college, he has an impressive deep ball, even while scrambling. Sometimes, his footwork can look wonky, but his arm is so strong it doesn’t even matter.
Stockton likes targeting the middle of the field and down the sidelines a lot. He can also scramble too. At 6-foot-1, 220 pounds he has elite size.
Jaden Rashada
Rashada has more experience starting than Stockton does from when he was a freshman at Arizona State. Last season, Rashada was the starter for the first two games before suffering an injury that took him out until November. Later he came back for 2023’s last game against Arizona. Overall, he had 485 yards passing, four touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Then, the former four-star recruit transferred to Georgia in the summer of 2024. Rashada shows legit mobility and a quick release. Some development will help him go through his reads quicker.
Ryan Puglisi
Puglisi has yet to play for Georgia, but the four-star recruit has shown some solid tape at high school. Puglisi excels at ball placement and he keeps his eyes downfield when he is under pressure.
He could improve at holding linebackers and safeties with his eyes. Puglisi can stand to be more accurate, but he has a great arm, which he also used to be a great pitching/shortstop prospect out of New England. Puglisi is the least likely of the Georgia quarterbacks to play due to his lack of college experience.
